City requests injunction to halt Philadelphia transit strike

PHILADELPHIA – The city of Philadelphia wants a judge to order striking transit employees to return to work on Election Day so residents can get to the polls to vote.

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Officials filed a request for an injunction Sunday but said it's for Tuesday only.

"The Law Department must act now to ensure that as many Philadelphia residents as possible can vote without disruption," said Sozi Pedro Tulante, city solicitor, in a statement, adding that there is still time for the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority and its workers' union to resolve the strike before then.

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Transport Workers Union's 4,700 employees walked off the job after midnight last Monday, shutting down transit service that provides about 900,000 rides daily on city buses, trolleys and subways. Pensions, work rules and health care costs were said to be among the issues on the bargaining table.

Also on Sunday, Pennsylvania Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf said he'll file a brief in support of an injunction request filed by SEPTA.

"This strike has been devastating for so many individuals and their families and has created extreme hardships for the city and for businesses," Wolf said in a statement. "The time for it to end is now."

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A state court judge plans to hear motions in the case Monday morning. Jamie Horwitz, spokesman for the local chapter of the TWA, said the union won't comment until after Monday's hearing.

SEPTA says that once a strike ends, it could be back to full service within 16 hours.